


Princess and the Puns

by Texan_Red_Rose



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9479414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Texan_Red_Rose/pseuds/Texan_Red_Rose
Summary: A collection of Freezerburn one-shots/prompts/etc. [Freezerburn]





	1. Headphones

**Author's Note:**

> I swear, one of these days, I'm going to get my shit together. (I keep saying this, hoping it'll come true, haha.) Anyway! Here's a bunch of Freezerburn one-shots/prompts. All are unrelated unless noted otherwise and most have already been posted to my tumblr. These will mostly be cleaned up and/or extended versions of those. I'll make a note if I add in or change anything significant. For this first one, I saw a prompt about those noise canceling headphones and ran with it. Enjoy!

Weiss entered the dorm room with slight trepidation. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when walking into her own dorm room felt like striding in front of a firing line but, for the past few weeks, there was a specter of anxiety that blanketed her anytime she entered, for fear she would be alone in the room with a particular teammate.

Ruby, her energetic partner, wasn't a problem. Even if she didn't particularly care for the young woman's hyperactive routine, the dolt was well meaning and remarkably studious as of late, so no complaints there. Blake, on the other hand, was always quietly reading and she didn't particularly care which subject matter had the Faunus' attention. Sure, things were still a bit… awkward between them, what with the docks incident only being a month behind them, but they were respectful and even- dare she think it- closer than before the whole debacle.

It was Yang- the cheerful, bouncing blonde with shining lilac eyes and a laugh that could lift even the foulest mood- and the very thought of being alone with the other woman that made her heart beat a little faster every time she opened the door. _How_ she'd developed a crush on the pun loving oaf was beyond her, but here she was, actually _afraid_ of being one-on-one with the blonde in any circumstance. At least when their partners were around, there was someone to offer a distraction- Ruby trying to swipe some cookies, Blake's dry wit, _something_ \- but, if they were alone and the talkative woman wanted to actually speak to her, if she didn't have the constant pressure of people watching to help keep her mouth shut, she wasn't quite sure _what_ would happen.

It was that uncertainty that nearly drove her to leave the room once she realized that her fear was realized.

There, lying on _her_ bed with her feet hanging off the edge, was Yang, wearing her tanktop and shorts, blonde hair spread out over the sheets, with her sister's headphones firmly in place and eyes closed. She might be sleeping for all the heiress knew and she instantly felt a horde of butterflies take up residence in her stomach as she briefly debated leaving the room. It would be the coward's way out but at least she wouldn't have to deal with the fact that her gorgeous teammate was on her bed, chest rising and falling gently.

No, this was ridiculous; she was a _Schnee_. She wasn't about to run from _her_ room all because of some juvenile crush.

Weiss swallowed, steeling herself and marching into the room. "Yang, what do you think you're doing?" No response. "I'm being serious, you oaf- what's the meaning of this?" Still nothing. "YANG!"

Frustrated at being ignored, the heiress finally resorted to drastic measures, slapping the blonde's knee. She immediately jerked, lilac eyes flying open as she scrambled to sit up.

"Whoa, Weiss, when did you get here?" Her voice was loud- well, more than usual, at any rate- and she pulled the headphones away, letting them rest around her neck. "Ah, sorry, I forget Rubes' got the good ones; I didn't hear you come in."

"And _why_ are you on my bed?"

"Only open outlet." She gestured towards her charging scroll at her side, which had two wires coming from it: one going to the wall while the other went to the headphones. She hit the pause button to stop the song, which was some high tempo rock number from the faint sounds of it. "Blake's got something in my slot and I didn't want to unplug it, so I thought I'd chill over here. But I can move."

"No, it's… it's fine." Weiss sighed, sitting down more than half a foot away and pulling out a book at random from her bag. The heiress was nothing if not perceptive to when an opportunity presented itself and she wasn't about to pass this one up. "Just stay there and listen to your music. But I expect to have my bed back once it's fully charged!"

"Oh, yeah, sure." Yang settled the headphones into their proper place again and laid back.

Weiss waited a moment, mulling over if this was truly a good idea or not. She'd read more than a handful of accounts where someone felt lighter after admitting a secret, able to move past whatever had held them back. Something about saying the words aloud freeing the heart or some such nonsense. There was a chance it wouldn't work, of course… but there _was_ nothing to lose, seeing as the blonde couldn't hear her anyway.

And really… she had the feeling it _would_ be nice to get it off her chest.

"Yang," she said, pausing for just a moment to see if there was a reaction but the woman didn't move, still laying back with her hands linked behind her head. "I realize how foolish this is going to sound but… I think I've developed a crush on you." To the point, that was always the easiest way, and as she cracked open the textbook- Grimm Studies, of course, she shouldn't be surprised- Weiss found the words coming easier even as she pretended to pour over the pages. "It's not surprising, perhaps- you're beautiful, and friendly, and cheerful, and everything I'm… well, you're certainly more approachable and admirable. A bright spot in even the darkest night. But you're not without your faults." She turned the page. "Yet, somehow, you make every blemish look like a work of art. Your jokes are _terrible_ but I'm always struggling not to laugh. You spend far too much time goofing off or lazing about instead of studying but I like seeing you laughing or resting." She reached for her notebook to keep up the charade, no longer paying conscious mind to the words as they continued to tumble. "I know you don't like me much. You never forgave me for being rude to Ruby that first day and I don't blame you. Of my regrets, that's certainly near the top of the list." She blinked, surprised by how wet her eyes were. "Truly, I wish I _could_ be your friend, at the very least, because I…" Weiss stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "You're the bright spot everyone wants to lie in on a beautiful sunny day and I'm just the Ice Queen. Maybe it's knowing I never have a chance that makes this hurt so badly."

The heiress fell silent then, staring blankly at the textbook, shoulders slumped. The confession didn't make her happy, per se, but admitting her attraction and its futility did give her some peace of mind. It just wouldn't work out between them- she'd just proven as much, they were too different- but at least she had the courage to acknowledge all of her feelings for what they were.

Well, almost all of them.

"I… I think I love you, Yang Xiao Long, and I wish that meant something."

Then, silence descended and some of her self-inflicted anguish slid away. Maybe now she could… _get over it_ or something, move on to something else or just focus on her studies.

Oh, who was she kidding? She'd throw herself into her schoolwork to drown everything else out, like she'd tried to do the past several weeks. It was no-

Weiss stiffened as the blonde moved, sitting up slowly and pulling the headphones down. Except, unlike before, there was no music playing faintly from them, and the heiress belatedly realized that, when the woman had laid back, she hadn't hit the pause button on her scroll.

_Shit._

"Ruby told me you apologized about that first day, ya know, so I ain't mad about that," the blonde said softly. "I really thought you knew all this time- I've thought of you as a friend for a while now, almost as long as we've been teammates, and… I've thought about us being something more, too. You're rough around the edges, sure, but you're a good person beneath it all, Weiss. I know that." Tentatively, she moved one arm, waiting for any sign of refusal before sliding it around the heiress' shoulders and scooting closer. "And, ya know, I've always admired how smart you are, and organized, and you're not afraid to speak your mind." Her lips curled into a small smile. "Even when you're being a brat."

Weiss could feel a rare flush rising in her cheeks. "I… didn't think you could hear me."

That was a brilliant addition to the conversation.

"Obviously." Yang chuckled, leaning in slowly. "But I _did_ hear you, so now I'm gonna say: all you had to do was ask, Ice Queen."

Her eyes widened and whatever objection she might've had flew from her mind as the blonde pressed close, their lips connecting in a chaste kiss. The heiress thought about pushing away for all of two seconds before her eyes slid close and she returned the gentle pressure the blonde was exerting.

When they parted, Yang tenderly cupped her cheek, brushing a thumb just beneath her scar. "I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I, well, _love_ you yet, 'cause that's a pretty heavy word, ya know?" The blonde blushed ever so slightly, her voice earnest and soft despite the words themselves making Weiss' heart clench a little. Yet, there was enough shine in those lilac eyes to keep her hoping and hanging on every word. "But, if we could go out sometime… I'd like to give us a shot, see where things go."

Some part of her refused to believe it. The blonde was a joker above all else, always making a pun or being cheesy purely to get a smile or laugh out of her chosen target. They usually weren't cruel in nature- and leading her on certainly _would_ be cruel- but there was no hint of insincerity in Yang's expression. "You… you're being serious."

"Yeah, I am." The blonde nodded once. "But it's your choice, Weiss. If you want to lie in _this_ bright spot, I won't mind the company."

The heiress sighed, shaking her head. "You just _had_ to make a horrible joke out of it, didn't you?"

"Hey, be honest." That smile that always lifted her spirits appeared on the woman's lips, reaching all the way to lilac eyes. "Would you want me any other way?"

"No," she replied, and a bit too quickly, preemptively smacking the blonde's shoulder before she could make a comment about it. "So, now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself and somehow gotten a date out of it-" the heiress pointedly ignored the strange sensation of her stomach doing a backflip at those words "-I suppose we should return to what we were doing."

"Yeah, guess we could." Yang pulled away a little, then stopped, a sly smile coming to her lips. "Hey, how about you use my shelf to prop up your book?" Weiss looked at her teammate quizzically before glancing over to the other side of the room. That… wasn't exactly an improvement over their current situation. "Not that one- here, let me show you." The blonde gingerly pulled her Grimm Studies textbook from her weakened grip, then moved back on the bed and turned so she lay on it properly. With her head on the pillow, Yang set the book on her chest and smiled, obviously proud of herself. "See?"

"You oaf, that's not a shelf!"

"Well, I can't call it a kickstand-"

"Would you- how am I even supposed to read it when it's on your…" She was _not_ about to say the words, the angle created by Yang's generous bosom more than enough to make her point.

"Easy. C'mere."

After a little coaxing and a few sputtered, halfhearted objections, Weiss found herself resting between the blonde's legs, every deep breath pressing her admittedly smaller chest against Yang's stomach as she supported herself on her elbows. While it _did_ allow her to see the pages quite easily, the heiress couldn't help but voice one last objection.

"If Ruby or Blake come in here and see us-"

"Ruby went with Jaune and Pyrrha to that Weapon Expo downtown and Blake just got the new _Ninjas of Love_ book in the mail and disappeared somewhere. Trust me, _neither_ of them will be back around for hours, at least." Yang chuckled, and it felt so strange to both hear and feel her amusement. "Relax, Princess. You'll finish that chapter in forty-five minutes tops, then we can, I dunno, go down to the cafeteria and grab a bite. Or maybe into town? There's a killer hamburger joint down by the docks."

Well… she _did_ have to finish the chapter, and if their partners weren't due back for some time, she might as well.

Without another word of complaint, the heiress actually began reading the assignment, hardly noticing when Yang slid the earphones back into place and returned to her music. Despite how distracting it was to feel the blonde's every breath, Weiss managed to finish the chapter in only thirty minutes, shifting slightly whenever the pressure on her elbows made her shoulders twinge. However, she continued flipping the pages every minute or so, deciding she'd rather spend the allotted forty-five minutes resting against the other woman than give off any sign that she'd already completed her task. The assignment wasn't even due until the end of next week, so she was more than well enough ahead to simply indulge in Yang's warmth for a while longer.

"Hey, you still reading?"

Blue eyes snapped up, meeting curious lilac. Drat, she'd been found out. "No."

The blonde couldn't hear her, of course, but she was apparently adept at reading lips, pulling off the headphones and setting them aside. "Good." Her textbook followed suit and she was once again coaxed into moving, up far enough so they could see each other much easier, the heiress holding herself up over the other woman for only a moment before she was pulled down, their bodies flush. "You said I'm the warm spot everyone wants to lie in, right? Well, how's it feel?"

Arms wrapped around her, Weiss could feel her heartbeat spike as the first thought that came to mind immediately left her lips. "Warm."

Yang raised a brow. "So, good or…?"

"Good." She nodded, slowly relaxing into the embrace, tucking her head beneath the blonde's chin. "It's… good."

"Heh. Alright." A hand traveled up and down her back, the motion comforting and beckoning her to sleep. "You know… you might be an Ice Queen, but I think I can get you to melt a little."

"I _knew_ that joke was coming," she said, noting how the words were a little slurred as they left her lips, her eyelids becoming heavy.

"Yeah, but here's the kicker: I'm glad you're around to cool me off."

Weiss felt a smile curl her lips as she shuffled a little, burrowing into the other woman's warmth. Maybe this wouldn't last, maybe it would, but at least there was a chance, and it was with that happy thought that she drifted off into a shallow sleep, wrapped up in warmth.


	2. Best/Worst Couple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "If you're still accepting, "We would make the best couple." "You mean the worst couple." "Exactly." for freezerburn because they would totally say this."
> 
> Fuck yes they would.

Yang pulled out her scroll, activating the camera so she could check her reflection, running a hand through her unruly blonde mane to make sure it had that windswept look without turning into a rat's nest and adjusting her cream colored top to, ah, ensure it was advertising her assets. She was pulling out _all_ the stops today; it was make it or break it time, do or die, the last round up, the-

"Are you sure she's going to be here?" Her best friend raised a brow, looking up from her book briefly. The Faunus was seated on a bench behind her, the two of them having effectively staked out the park for a solid hour in preparation. It was actually Blake's idea for them to do that, seeing as the blonde's plan consisted of showing up maybe ten minutes early and bumping into her target.

Which, really, was still the plan, but being at the park far earlier gave Yang the chance to really plan it out while looking around, taking note of the well traveled sidewalk and the vendors that had shown up for the beautiful spring day. It wasn't too hot- which was unfortunate, because the blonde was pretty sure rocking her skin tight tank top would get a better reaction, and she could always splash herself with some water if things got desperate- and the light breeze certainly made the day feel almost perfect. With a little luck, it would get even better, but Yang was _trying_ not to get ahead of herself.

"Yeah, I'm sure; she sticks to her schedule." She flicked off the scroll's camera, checking the time briefly before shoving it into the pocket of her light jacket. Being a bike messenger, Yang often used the park as a quick cut through when head across town, and more than once she'd spotted a woman who looked to be about her age in and around the park.

She had to be some sort of business type. Crisp white pantsuits, or modest skirts with high heels, occasionally calf or thigh high boots, she was a woman who _meant_ business, with sharp blue eyes and white hair always pulled into an off center ponytail- she was just _a dream_ in the looks department, but what honestly caught Yang's attention initially was her complete refusal to take shit from anyone. A few months ago, the blonde was on her way to a delivery when she heard the woman telling off some blue haired punk who'd done _something-_ and she may never know exactly _what_ \- and earned himself an earful. There was one sentence in particular, something about the guy being a 'Neanderthal nutjob with next to no nominal appeal', that forced Yang to stop pedaling so she could laugh without falling off her bike. Ever since, the blonde would actively look around whenever she passed through the park, and she'd gotten a feel for when the woman would appear and the times usually changed except on Fridays, like today.

Every week, without fail, the woman would come right around lunchtime with a sandwich from a deli down the street, sit on the bench nearest the big old oak, and enjoy her lunch while thumbing through some portfolio or another. Between a quarter after noon and half past the hour, she'd show, sit for exactly forty-five minutes, and then leave, and Yang _only_ knew that because of how often she had to cut through the park while the streets were gridlocked thanks to midday traffic.

But this Friday? _This_ Friday she had off, which meant she was totally free to at least try getting the woman's number, if not her attention. Yang had even cajoled her best friend into coming along for 'moral support', mainly because, in the event she crashed and burned, Blake would find a way to make light of the situation and help soothe her wounded pride.

"Okay, so, I should totally bump into her, right? Just, casually walk, then 'oops, I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!' and just go from there, right?"

"Why are you asking _me_ this?" The Faunus looked up from her book again, ears drooping slightly. "Aside from 'the really pretty business lady in the park', I know nothing about this woman."

"Yeah, but you're always reading romance novels!" Yang pointed at the one in her friend's hands as proof. "How do you _not_ have any ideas for me?"

"Because this?" She shook the book slightly. "This is fiction. And this." She gestured around them. "This is real life. They are two _entirely_ separate worlds."

"Then what's the point of reading?" The blonde furrowed her brows, setting her hands on her hips.

Blake shrugged before going back to her reading. "I'm not too fond of the real world, obviously."

Rolling her lilac eyes, Yang scanned around the park and stopped dead when she saw the very woman she'd been waiting for walking towards the park. Knee length skirt with high heels, a light, white jacket, and a white blouse beneath it, with her briefcase in one hand and a little container in the other, head tilted up as others scurried to get out of her way- now _that_ was a power walk, and more than a few people in the area noticed it.

"I'm guessing that's her," Blake said from the bench, making a soft noise in the back of her throat. "She's cute."

"She's _gorgeous_ and you damn well know it." Yang muttered tilting her head side-to-side to loosen up her muscles.

"You're asking her out, not preparing for a cage match."

"Blakey, don't knock my process." The blonde took a deep breath, reevaluating her surroundings. "Okay, new plan, I'm going to wait until she sits down, then go talk to her." Her friend made some sort of affirmative noise, probably having returned to her book after making her observation, but that was besides the point. She needed to _focus_ ; someone who looked as serious as that probably wouldn't appreciate some bumbling routine, so she'd have to change things up. Be smooth, be cool; she could do this. "Alright, she's sitting down. I'm gonna go talk to her."

"Go get 'er, tiger," Blake said with a healthy dose of disinterest.

She didn't let it faze her. What was the worst thing that could happen? Getting told 'no' wasn't that big of a deal, so she might as well take a shot. And, hey, she was pretty charming, if she did say so herself, so maybe this would work out! She'd never know without trying.

Still, there was a little bit of hesitance on her part as she got closer to the bench. The woman was obviously busy pouring over some paperwork, blue eyes following along intently while she chewed her sandwich. Maybe disturbing her wasn't the best idea… ah, what the hell, she was already over here.

"Excuse me," she said, bringing out her brightest smile as blue eyes lifted and met hers. "Do you happen to have the time?"

The woman shook her head slightly, setting her sandwich down and pulling back her right sleeve to look at the face of her watch. Mentally, Yang noted that she was likely a lefty _and_ a bit traditional, so she once again amended her plan of approach. "It's twelve twenty-three."

"Oh, really?" The blonde frowned, crossing her arms under her chest. "Huh, I must be really off, then."

Although appropriately suspicious, the woman took the bait. "What time did you think it was?"

"Well, after looking at you, I thought for sure it was _fine_ o'clock." Her lips pulled into a smirk as the woman blinked in surprise.

"Was that a _pick-up_ line?"

"I dunno, did it sweep you off your feet?" Yang let out a chuckle, flipping her hair over one shoulder, partly to get it out of the way and partly because flexing a bicep or two never hurt her chances before.

"This is ridiculous." Despite the somewhat offended tone, the blonde didn't miss how quickly the other woman's gaze deviated to her arms and back, as if just now noticing the definition in her muscles. She might not be an outright musclehead but Yang spent more than a few days at the gym and her job definitely helped with staying in shape. "You're actually hitting on me, aren't you?"

"Yup. Did I leave any bruises?" She stepped forward and cocked her hip, tilting her head just so to accentuate the height difference. Even if she were standing, the blonde was taller than the businesswoman, and something about the way those blue eyes met hers hinted that it was well noted. "'Cause I can definitely kiss 'em better." She winked, then leaned back, sure to give the woman her space while delivering her request. "'Course, I _do_ ask for payment up front for any medical services rendered, so how about dinner on me, sometime next week? How's that sound?"

"Don't you have something to deliver?" The woman snapped back, though dismay overcame her slight scowl as the words left her mouth while Yang's brows rose.

"Oh ho ho! So you recognize me!" Carefully, because she didn't want to make the businesswoman uncomfortable and she _really_ wanted to capitalize on the opportunity, the blonde circled around to the unoccupied side of the bench and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and watching the other woman. "Didn't know I had an audience."

"I don't believe that for a second," the woman replied, huffing and straightening out her jacket. "With that uniform of yours, I doubt there's anywhere you _can_ go without someone becoming distracted. I have half a mind to fund a research project into how many traffic accidents you cause just crossing the street."

That sounded suspiciously like a roundabout compliment but Yang wasn't about to let it slide; she really hadn't thought the businesswoman she always snuck glances at while passing through might be doing the same towards her, so she might as well get some mileage out of it. "Bright yellow _is_ a safety color."

"I'm not talking about the color and you know that." The woman sighed, raising her left hand- definitely a lefty- to rub at her temple. "At any rate, who put you up to this?"

"I did," she replied, shrugging. "I told myself, 'ya know, I should ask that gorgeous businesswoman from the park out sometime, see what she says' and, well, here we are." Yang laughed, scooting a little closer. "So, what'd'ya say, Princess? How about it?"

The woman looked at her and, now that she was up close and stationary, the blonde could see the faint traces of a scar running across the woman's left eye. "You know nothing about me."

Well… that wasn't a rejection, so she scooted a little closer, noting that the woman noticed what she was doing and made no move to stop her or move away. That _had_ to be a good sign, right? "Yeah, see, the point of going on a date is so you can get to know the other person, so, should I take that as a yes?" She held out a hand. "My name's Yang, by the way. It's great to finally talk to you."

"How long have you been staging this ambush?" The woman narrowed her eyes, though she did shake the blonde's hand. Her grip was solid- not strong, but definitely not dainty- and Yang could just barely feel the roughness of a callous or two before the hand withdrew. "And, as much as I'm going to regret confirming this, yes, I am who you think I am, so just get on with it."

Yang raised a brow and spread her hands. "Look, Princess, I don't meant to knock your ego or anything, but I honestly don't know your name and I'm being pretty serious over here. Can't you throw me a bone?"

The woman watched her for a moment, those keen blue eyes seeking out any hint of deception and finding absolutely none. "Weiss, alright? My name is Weiss."

"Well, it's very _Weiss_ to meet you!" She smiled, chuckling at the exasperation showing plainly in the other woman's expression. "Look, I can tell you're skeptical about actually going on a date with me, so how about a compromise?" Yang pulled out her scroll. "Let's exchange numbers. We can text, call, get some chemistry going and _then_ go out on a date. How's that for a plan?"

"You are nothing if not persistent." Weiss noted, running a hand through her bangs. "I don't see what benefit this holds for either of us. It'll just be a waste of time." Blue eyes scanned her form. "I'll admit you're attractive but that's hardly a basis for any relationship."

"No, but, c'mon, we know more about each other than just our looks." The blonde set her scroll in her lap and started counting off on her fingers. "Like, you already know I'm persistent, and funny, and charming-"

"Laying it on thick, aren't you?"

"And maybe a _little_ full of myself." She chuckled, jerking her head to the side. "And you know I've got a physical job and that I stay in shape. See, that's _more_ than just 'being attractive'. And what I _do_ know about you?" She started counting off again. "You're serious, goal oriented, you like things a certain way, and you enjoy the fresh air." Yang let out another chuckle. "I mean, I'm pretty sure someone like you doesn't actually _need_ to walk anywhere; you just do it because you can, right?"

"You're… surprisingly astute." The woman blinked before shaking her head, leaning back against the bench. "Still, I don't see anything there that would indicate compatibility."

"Are you kidding?" Yang sat forward, smiling as wide as possible. "We would make _the best_ couple!"

"We would make the _worst_ couple."

"Exactly!"

Weiss frowned, shaking her head. "How does that even make sense?"

The blonde laughed, leaning forward and lowering her voice enough that the other woman had to lead towards her to hear. "See, 'best' and 'worst' are subjective, but you just agreed we _would_ be a couple, and that means we're on the same page. There's your compatibility." She winked, straightening up and speaking normally. "So, really, the only way to see which one of us is right about the subjective part is to give 'us' a shot. So, how about it?"

The woman sat back, a thoughtful expression on her face as she hummed. "Alright. Give me your scroll." Mentally cheering, Yang obliged, watching with anticipation as the woman typed in a number. She considered just leaving- if it was a fake, then she'd just shrug it off- but Weiss quickly instructed that she send a text right then so she could save the number properly. "I hope you realize I'm _not_ agreeing to a date, not yet. You'll have to impress me again before I let you have that reward."

"Oh, so I already impressed you, is that it?"

"Yes." Weiss smirked, sliding the forgotten documents into her briefcase and collecting up her half eaten sandwich. "It takes an impressive amount of obliviousness not to recognize Weiss Schnee while you're sitting in the middle of Willow Schnee Memorial Park. Hopefully, your next attempt will be a little more… flattering."

With that, the businesswoman stood and walked away, leaving a dumbfounded blonde in her wake, half because, wow, she _didn't even think_ that Weiss would be _the_ Weiss Schnee, and half because… well… it _was_ nice watching her leave.

"Guess I have some research to do." She muttered, heading back to the bench where Blake sat, still reading her book. Either the Faunus had no idea how well things had gone or she was trying her hardest to finish the last pages before being roped into helping her best friend out.

Either way, Yang Xiao Long had a long road ahead of her if she was going to be proven right and, in this particular instance, she _definitely_ wanted to be on the right side. There simply wasn't any other option _left_!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE PUNS CONTINUE. NO APOLOGIES.


	3. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... sincerely thought I'd already posted this. My bad. Based off a prompt by MakaS0ul, "keep talking and I'll cast a silence spell" for these two.

Weiss squinted, mentally cursing the slowly fading light as she dug through the chest. Her dancing lights spell was nearing the end of its effectiveness, which meant she either had to find a standard lantern or cast another, neither option particularly appealing at present. While the mage didn't typically object to easy coin, they'd spent the better part of a day mucking their way through a decrepit castle crawling with all manner of foul pests and she felt exhaustion creeping into every limb. They'd handled every hobgoblin and kobold crawling through the sprawling estate, plus the drake that had taken up residence in the far corner of the lower dungeon, and while it wasn't enough that she wished the rest of their party was present, casting her spells repeatedly drained her energy. She scrubbed at her eyes, forcing them to focus in the dim light. For whatever reason, the creatures that had taken over the castle hadn't gone through any of the rooms in the upper levels, sticking to the ground floor and dungeon, so it made sense that they might find _something_ of use. Anything that would ease the burden of lighting their way would be a boon.

"Uh, Weiss. Your spell's fading."

"Yes, Yang, I am _quite_ aware." Her irritation showed in her voice, brows pinching together as she scrubbed at her eyes again, not bothering to look at her companion as she entered the room. She should've heeded the monk's advice and not spent so much energy maintaining that protection spell; the woman could withstand blows much harder than the ones the drake was even capable of, but her fear had gotten the better of her.

It was a patently bad idea and she'd acknowledged as much from the start. When she left the Academy and became a registered Mage-for-Hire, Weiss had three rules she maintained above all else to ensure things went smoothly. Demand at least half of her share of the reward up front, never hesitate to freeze an ally if they threatened her, and keep everyone at arms' distance; it protected her from being drug into abysmal situations and kept her paid and free, two things that were intensely important now that she didn't have her family's money to flaunt. Bending to her father's will and becoming an instructor at the Mage's Academy never held the appeal to her that traveling across Remnant as part of a band of adventurers did, so she made the trade effortlessly. The first few years were trial and error, learning to discern between the inexperienced gold chaser and the practiced sell-sword, but things changed when she was hired by the cheerful leader of their little group, a talented ranger with a promising future.

The first thing she relinquished was demanding her portion; Ruby rarely asked that on any job they took and originally paid the mage from her own pocket to satisfy the requirement. After the first few quests, Weiss accepted that the younger woman was too honest to attempt stiffing her, so she let it slide. Continuing to ask just seemed crass and beneath her. Next was her sense of self preservation, because of course they took nothing less than the most dangerous feats available, going up against monsters she'd studied while at the Academy with no plan on ever encountering them in person. Dragons, golems, a hydra- really, after surviving all that, being threatened by Blake during a heated argument felt like nothing. She didn't believe for one second the rogue meant it and her own harsh words rang in her ears continuously for months afterwards, making her feel awful even after they'd made amends. Casting an offensive spell on them, even in self defense, now seemed like a betrayal instead of a pragmatic method of protecting herself. The last tenet, the one the mage thought she was clinging to stubbornly despite traveling with her companions for well over a year, slipped away without her notice. It didn't matter how much she denied it, how often she tried to let her frosty exterior ward them off; each of them had become close to her heart in their own way. Ruby was too cheerful, too simple in her view and absolutely dedicated to it to be deterred, and Blake met her step for step until they'd acclimated to one another, bonding over an appreciation for quiet the rest of their group didn't share.

Yang was different, though- and of course she was. The loudest monk to ever exist, with enough rage to put the barbaric warriors in the south to shame, and the blonde was nothing short of immensely proud regarding both those qualities. There existed no more mild a word to describe the buxom blonde than 'different' and she didn't stop there. Brash, cocky, exuberant, fiery, gorgeous, strong, selfless, gentle, caring… loving. The mage had always thought love was something she couldn't miss, an obvious overflowing of affection she would notice immediately, but that wasn't the case at all. For all the times Weiss snapped at the bare knuckle brawler, and chided her, and tended to her wounds, one would _think_ that resentment would be the chief emotion in regards to the monk, but no. Somehow, the woman had undermined her defenses without even trying, just throwing her a smile or a wink of those vibrant lilac eyes every now and again, soft words of encouragement dropping just as often as those ridiculous puns the mage had grown to love.

It was a very bad idea to enter into a relationship with one of her traveling companions… and it was beautiful, too.

"Hey, Frosty, you okay?" Yang appeared at her elbow, one large hand coming to rest on her shoulder. "You kinda went into a trance."

"Huh?" Blinking, the mage noticed she'd paused in her quest to find a suitable light source, her fading spell casting even less light as it neared its end. "I'm fine. Were you able to find a lantern?"

"Not in this junk." Her lips quirked into a frown. "Seriously, you seem pretty out of it."

"We're about to run out of light; there are better uses of our time." She tried to pull away only to find the monk stepping in front of her. In the dying lights, her hair looked nearly aflame as she peered down at Weiss.

"Why can't we walk by moonlight?"

"It's a new moon. There _is_ no moonlight."

"We've got the stars and the road back is pretty easy going."

"You are being insufferable," she said, huffing out a breath. "We'd first need to get out of the castle, which is much harder to navigate." Really, if they hadn't opted to go through the rooms in search of items to sell down at the market for a bit of extra coin, they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. "But I suppose I can cast one more spell. Come on."

She tried maneuvering around the blonde again only to be stopped once more. "You're still not very good at lying, Frosty; you don't have the strength to cast another spell. Why don't we just bed down here for the night?"

Weiss blinked. "You're joking."

"Nah, I found a bed that's in pretty good condition and some sheets. It's way more comfortable than the usual tavern bunks." Then her lips quirked up into a lascivious grin. "Plus, we can _share_."

That was still a point of contention between them. They were stuck in a cave nearly a year ago, separated from the rest of their group, when honesty won out over discretion. At the time, Yang promised to keep their relationship a secret from the other two, both because they didn't want their companions doubting their commitments to whichever mission they took and because Yang had a habit of not informing her sister about her love life. Thankfully, Ruby was either too dense or too innocent to notice when they slipped up, and the rogue too amused to do anything other than watch quietly, a knowing little smile on her lips. It should be infuriating but she couldn't hold it against Blake, not when she would provide just the right excuse to distract the ranger and give them some much needed alone time. Their affections, however, were either hidden from sight or disguised under whatever pretense they could manage. Sleeping together? Next to impossible, especially when they booked only a single room for the four of them to save on gold.

Lately, though, the blonde's thoughts on the matter had changed, and she was actively trying to get away with a little more than their established boundaries allowed. Most of the time, Weiss didn't mind- she relished it, even- but now wasn't one of those times.

"You're being ridiculous," the mage replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "We are _not_ sleeping in a castle we spent the whole day clearing of foul creatures. For all we know, more could be lurking in the corners."

"You already cast your evil detection spell six times, Frosty. There's nothing in or around this castle that's going to bother us." Her smile widened. "And we can always lock the door."

Before she could object, Yang produced a key from who-knew-where, twirling it between her fingers so it caught the flickering light. "I send you to find a lantern, and you instead find a key."

"You sent me to find something _useful_ , and I did." She tapped the key against the tip of Weiss' nose lightly. "Priorities."

"Why couldn't you prioritize finding a way to return to town?" Her brows furrowed, her lack of energy combining with her irritation to make her sound even more cross.

"Because the town's not going anywhere and you're almost dead on your feet." The blonde chuckled. "Seeing as I'm not a necromancer, I had to find some other way to bring you back, and a good night's rest will probably do the trick."

"Give me one good reason we should stay here instead of heading back."

"Cuddles," Yang replied instantly, leaning closer with that insufferable smirk on her lips. "Or more, if you catch your second wind."

"Don't be crude; we haven't the time for this ludicrous argument." Blue eyes flicked to the dimming orbs. It wouldn't be much longer now. "We need to find a lantern."

"Well, there's a finite number of ways for you to shut me up." She raised a brow. "I suggest a kiss for max effectiveness."

"I'm being serious, Yang."

"So am I."

"If you're not going to help, stop talking." Weiss tried again and succeeded in slipping past the other woman, though not without brushing against the brawler's arm, that little bit of contact lending more strength to the ridiculous argument. They _could_ simply call it a night… but, no, they should get back. That was the plan. "I'm going to find a lantern."

"You know, we really don't need it. You already light up my life!" Damn. She was starting with the puns, keeping one step behind as the mage tried to make use of the sparse light remaining to continue her search. "No, really; with you around, my eyesight's _so_ much better, I can even see my future! And it's right in front of me!"

Double damn, now she was mixing in that ridiculously effective sweet talk, too. "Yang."

"And you're just so smart; seriously, you've gotta be the _brightest_ person I know!" And there it was, the obnoxious compliments.

" _Yang_."

"I mean, what's the point of finding a lantern? You'll still be more radiant."

"Keep talking and I'll cast a silence spell." She turned around, jabbing a finger in the blonde's face. "I mean it! Do _not_ push me, Yang Xiao Long! Help me find a lantern and not one more word!"

The monk- the insufferable, lovable, terrible woman that she was- leaned forward and laughed. "Sorry, I was blinded by the shine in your eyes. What are we looking for again?"

Oh, that did it. Her frustration boiled over, hardly a second passing before she called forth the last little bit of her magical strength to hit the blonde dead in the chest. She didn't even flinch and, as the light died and plunged the room into darkness, Weiss caught sight of the woman's smug smile and mischievously glinting eyes. That was the moment she realized she'd walked straight into a trap.

Triple damn.

"Yang. Whatever you're planning, you'd better stop right now." She warned, blinking to try and force her eyes into adjusting faster, but her previous estimation proved correct. Without the moon, there was very little light to see by, and she could only vaguely remember where the door was relative to her present location. "I'm serious." The sudden lack of sound from the other woman, though, sent a bolt of panic through her, her own breathing inexplicably louder in her ears. It wasn't so much the prospect of being alone- that much would be easy to handle, considering the way she was raised- but not being able to see or hear the monk… it worried her. What if they'd missed a kobold and it got the drop on the blonde? She wouldn't be able to call for help, and Weiss couldn't see her- even tripping and falling proved dangerous. If she got hurt because of this… "Yang?" She stepped forward, attempting to reach out in front of her to find her companion but then she had to throw her arms to the side instead to retain her balance. Her head was swimming, throwing her off, and the mage had to consider that moving around too much might make things much worse for her, nevermind the other woman. "Y-yang?"

And then there was a presence, something solid appearing beneath her arm a moment before a hand landed on her hip, sliding across her back to rest on the other side. Even without sight and sound, she could feel the monk's unusual warmth radiating from her, a comforting aura that she missed dearly whenever it was gone. Weiss immediately sagged against the other woman, reaching out to grab hold of her tunic even as Yang buried her face in snow white hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. It was both a warning and a reassurance, the prelude to the woman bending down to hook her other arm beneath the mage's knees and lift her off her feet.

It felt strange and unsettling. This wasn't the first time she'd pushed herself to exhaustion, prompting the monk to carry her somewhere, but usually there was the woman's steadily beating heart to lull her into calm, the even tread of her gait, and puns, jokes, or teases to distract her. Now, there was nothing but the darkness, and without Yang's reassuring warmth and strong grip, she might think herself deceived.

All doubts were laid to rest when, without warning, the little golden dragon pendant the monk wore started glowing. Immediately, the mage felt foolish; how many times had she remarked on the exquisite craftsmanship of the enchanted necklace? Too many to count, yet she'd entirely forgotten its existence when it would've been most prudent.

"You knew I wouldn't be able to make it back to town," she said, silently cursing herself for not realizing it before. "You baited me on purpose."

The blonde bent her head down, lightly nuzzling against the top of her head in apology.

"Don't; I'm sorry I was being stubborn." Yang shifted her pointedly and she sighed. "… sorry I was being stubborn _again_. Happy?"

The quick press of lips to her forehead mollified her, the monk setting off towards the door now that there was ample light to see their surroundings. She had to admit, the woman certainly knew how to plan ahead, having left the door ajar to ease their way out and turning down the hallway resolutely, allowing Weiss to see the open door just a little ways down the hall. While the mage spent her time searching for valuables and a lantern, Yang likely used the time to find a suitable room for the night, and that theory was proven correct when the blonde brought them both through the threshold. The windows were open, allowing cool, fresh air into the room, and the nearest surface looked like it had been wiped down, the dust removed in preparation. Some of the furniture looked rearranged as well, push well away from the bed, which sported fresh linens and a few well fluffed pillows.

With great care, she was laid down on the bed- which, true to the woman's word, felt like a cloud compared to the stiff, thin mattresses they used while traveling- and Yang wasted no time in removing the light boots she wore and her belt, setting both aside on a table, likely positioned so it would be within easy reach. Her mage's robes were eased off and she helped as much as she could, feeling somewhat childish being undressed like this. However, the moment her brows began to crease in annoyance, the blonde sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss her expression smooth, running a hand along her side in a soothing gesture.

_It's okay. I don't mind._

"Maybe _I_ mind," she replied, her eyelids growing heavy as she acknowledged that she could only guess at what Yang was saying, if she was trying to convey anything at all other than comfort. "I can't even return the favor." The blonde's shoulders shook in silent laughter before she stood, leaning over to plant another kiss on the center of her forehead. It felt too much like a good night kiss, though, and she couldn't take the chance, clumsily reaching out to grab hold of the other woman's wrist. "You promised me cuddles, remember?"

Yang paused, as if she hadn't intended on actually sharing the bed, before nodding. The light of her pendant gave her an ethereal appearance but there was nothing except soft kindness reflecting in lilac eyes that seemed to only emerge when she looked at the mage. At least, Weiss liked to think so; it wasn't the same sort of fondness the blonde had for her sister or even the rogue. It was different, deeper, special, and she felt a tired smile spread across her face when Yang sat back down and took off her own boots, unlacing her cestus and bracers, and pulled her tunic up and over her head. Her own items were removed with less care, probably dropped into a puddle beside the bed, but it meant that she took less time to slide over and pull the thin sheets over both of them.

The mage made no protests as she was carefully helped to lay on her side, the other woman quickly scooting over to press against her back. Any worries about the sheets being too thin for the chill in the air were immediately dispelled as Yang's warmth began seeping into her body, setting her at ease. It still felt so very wrong not to hear the blonde's breathing in her ear or her motions as she shifted to get comfortable, but it was only temporary, and the steady pressure rising and falling against her shoulder blades dulled the sensation somewhat.

"You're too good for me," she said, her voice soft and thick as the promise of sleep entreated her to slip into unconsciousness. The bed shook with the woman's silent laugh before another kiss pressed just below her ear, an arm slipping around her waist holding her tenderly.

_Nah. I don't think so._

Summoning what strength she still had in her, Weiss turned her head, begging for a proper kiss. Her request was granted, one of her hands slipping around Yang's neck to lightly tease through luscious golden locks, a privilege only she had earned. "Goodnight, Fireball."

The monk lightly bumped their noses together. _Goodnight, Frosty._

Settling in for bed, the mage allowed herself to drift off to sleep, muttering faintly. "I love you."

Her dreams were filled with bright summer days and shining lilac eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turned out fluffier than I expected. Also, mage!Weiss and monk!Yang, everybody.


	4. The Spider

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MakaS0ul hit me with this prompt not too long ago, for her birthday. "this is totally awkward considering before this the only interactions we've ever had have been casual nods to each other in the hallway but there's a huge fucking spider in my bath tub and you seem like the friendly neighbor type please help me" au Sorry about the delay on getting it posted to here!

Weiss Schnee scowled down at the bath tub, caught between extreme annoyance and mild displeasure. Really, after the week she'd just endured, a nice bath to relax seemed like such a small thing to ask but, no, the universe simply had to conspire against her in such a downright devious manner. Standing there in her white fluffy robe tied at the waist, with her matching slippers and hair cascading over her shoulders, the woman had only two options: turn on the water and hope the eight legged interloper got flushed down the drain- highly unlikely, seeing as the little beast seemed quite content to stare her down from the side of the tub furthest from the spray, meaning it would be a battle in and of itself to get the water on it before it scrambled elsewhere- or leave the creature entirely alone. Neither seemed particularly appealing.

She had no opinion one way or another about spiders- provided it left her alone, she was perfectly content to let it hide in the corners, until she conducted her weekly cleaning and inevitably destroyed its web anyway- but the last thing she wanted to do was deal with one interrupting her bath when all she wanted to do was relax. Plus, the idea of it somehow getting the better of her and crawling up her arm… she shivered reflexively, more at the thought of an unwanted touch than some memory of the tactile sensation, and left the room, opting to scour the small living room of her apartment for suitable implements to rid her of the unwanted guest, leaving the bottle of red wine and single glass she'd brought with her on the vanity's counter top. Surely she had some junk mail that would make ushering the blasted thing under the nozzle's spray much easier, simply because she didn't want the hassle of scraping the arachnid's remains from the bottom of her shoes. Though the apartment itself was modest- edge of the city, middle class renters, a fair balance between her rich upbringing and her disdain for the same- her wardrobe did tend towards the expensive side, which meant she had to make a choice between potentially ruining a crummy ad for some nonexistent giveaway or her six hundred lien shoes, and that choice wasn't a choice at all, really.

However, she must've recently shredded everything because not a single unimportant piece of paper remained to be found- which, honestly, she didn't even bother keeping a catalog? A menu? _Something_?- which would've had her cursing her penchant for a clean living space had she not caught the familiar tread of heavy boots out in the hall.

Out of all her neighbors, the majority seemed to be the quiet, keep to themselves sort, much like her, but there always existed an exception. In this case, it was the chipper, gorgeous, muscular blonde who lived across the hall, always a tad too loud but generous and gregarious all the same, usually on the phone laughing or walking someone to or from her place. She must be some sort of manual laborer, considering her size and stature, often coming or going while wearing jeans and T shirts that seemed perpetually stained by dirt and just a sneeze away from ripping at the seams, and she kept strange hours in comparison, but she certainly didn't come off as rude. Especially considering how many times they'd caught each other in lingering second glances; really, how one of them hadn't said something by this point could only be explained by their differing schedules. Perhaps, on the days when the loneliness got the better of her, Weiss even considered going over and knocking, maybe inviting herself in for a chat or some other innocuous reason. They were idle fantasies of course- the most they'd ever actually exchanged aside from a polite nod was a greeting in passing- but, to be frank, she was a woman with needs and those biceps certainly beckoned to a few select portions of her imagination. Parts she would deny existed if asked, of course, and her sister seemed keen to know if there was anyone like that in her life, to which the answer was a perpetual and sometimes frustrating 'no', but certain things couldn't be helped.

She could hear the opening and closing of the door across the hall and weighed her options. On the one hand, she wanted to relax, and taking care of the problem herself seemed like the quickest way to find herself up to her collarbone in bubbles with a nice glass of wine and a few scented candles. Nothing wrong with that picture at all. On the other, a bubble bath wasn't the only way to unwind after a stressful week and she'd entertained the thought enough times that testing the waters might not be such a waste of time. A few choice images flashed through her mind- more than once, she'd thought she glimpsed washboard abs beneath a too-tight T-shirt- and those weren't necessarily bad pictures, either. Plus, the woman seemed like no one she'd ever dated before, and all of those experiences were in, well, _the past_ , so perhaps trying something a little new- someone a little different- would yield better results.

And wasn't there a stereotype or two about a neighbor looking for assistance and giving a bit more in return?

"Well, what's the worst that could happen?" She muttered, abandoning her search for a suitable spider scooping implement and heading towards her own door. It briefly occurred to her to change into something a bit more respectable- or anything, really- but she dismissed the idea out of hand, purely because she didn't feel inclined to put that much effort into what could easily turn into a waste of her time. There remained the possibility that the blonde wouldn't be to her tastes, at which point she would've gotten dressed again for nothing and put her relaxing bath even further away from fruition. Wearing only a bathrobe might give the wrong impression… but she was Weiss Schnee, a head executive at one of the most powerful corporations in Remnant. Drawing up a restraining order would take a breath, if that, and there were some gambles she was willing to take at this point to get some much needed release.

Poking her head out into the hallway confirmed it was empty- on Friday nights, most of the tenants either holed up in their apartments early or had already caught a taxi into the city, which meant she didn't run too high a risk of being caught by anyone else. She quietly crossed across the hall, taking a moment to organize her thoughts before raising a fist and rapping her dainty knuckles on the door. This would likely result in nothing more than a few awkward minutes of having a stranger in her apartment but at least she could look her sister in the eye and say she made an attempt at filling the supposed void in her love life.

There was some shuffling from the other side of the door, perhaps a muttered curse, before the sound of the lock sliding back echoed in her ears. The door opened a moment later, revealing her neighbor, and she somehow hadn't noticed the woman stood a full head taller than herself until she had to redirect her gaze up from a rather considerable bust barely contained by a black cutoff T-shirt with the words 'FIGHT ME OR BITE ME' emblazoned in yellow to vibrant, smiling lilac eyes. Golden curls fell across her shoulders in an unruly fashion, as if the locks simply couldn't be tamed, and the woman raised one arm to lean against the door frame without much of a care, completing the picture.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it.

"Hey there, neighbor." For a moment, her gaze held steady before the blonde's eyes darted down and back up, almost too fast for her to notice. Despite that, she had to admit it didn't _look_ like she was displeased by what she saw. "Weiss, right? Can I, uh, help you with anything?"

Weiss raised a brow, noting the other woman's gaze dart away a second time, sensing a chance to break the cocky exterior and more than a little curious to see what was underneath. "Having trouble finding my eyes?"

"No! No, of course not," the blonde said, laughing a little. "I just, ya know- it's not often I have a beautiful woman on my doorstep in a bathrobe."

She made a show of tugging the robe closed a little tighter, opting for a coy route. "Yes, well, it's not often I have a pest in my bath tub, but I was hoping I could find someone willing to take care of the matter." Weiss allowed her gaze to deviate slightly, noting the woman's tight athletic shorts and muscled thighs, the hints of sweat and heat still rolling off the woman. She must've just returned from the gym or something similar. "Although I probably should know your name first, shouldn't I?"

"Yang- Yang Xiao Long, at your service, and say no more." The blonde reached for something inside her apartment, pulling out a newspaper from somewhere close and waving it with a cocky grin that refused to abate. "Come on, let's go take care of this lil bugger."

Funny, she didn't really peg the woman as being the type to read a newspaper, but she supposed some people preferred the tactile sensation of paper between their fingers rather than sliding their fingers across a screen. Regardless, she turned on heel and led the way back to her apartment, pleased when she heard Yang fall into step behind her. If nothing else, at least her impression of the blonde being the helpful sort seemed spot on, and she hoped her other… _thoughts_ proved as true as well.

They both entered her apartment, the door closing behind them with a resounding click as she slid the lock home out of habit. If it was noticed at all, the other woman made no mention, instead casting her gaze around with a low whistle. "Whoa. Sweet place you got."

"It's the same floor plan as yours." She pointed out, needlessly leading the way towards the bathroom.

"Yeah, but I don't have this sort of taste in interior decorating," Yang replied, just a step or two behind. When she turned to throw a skeptical look over her shoulder, lilac eyes snapped up to meet hers, a light blush rising in tan cheeks. "Guess your partner couldn't come help?"

"Partner?" She stopped to look back at her guest, a hand on the bathroom door and ready to push it open. "Whatever do you mean?"

"A boyfriend? Girlfriend, maybe?"The blonde didn't stop, her steps slow and measured as she closed the distance between them. "Anything in between?"

"None, now that you mention it." She tilted her head back so she could maintain eye contact even as she leaned back against the wood. "Single as they come."

"Guess that makes us a matching pair," Yang said, voice lowering just enough to sound a bit sultry. "Tell you what. After I take care of this little… _problem_ of yours." The inflection on that word brought a special little thrill shooting up her spine. "Maybe we could… talk?"

"Just talk?" She allowed a small smile to come to her lips, wondering if the woman would be so crass as to lay everything out plain and bare- and she wasn't sure which outcome she hoped for, honestly.

"I like to start with the manageable things. We can always negotiate higher." The blonde leaned down and, while she normally would resent being forced to confront her shorter stature like this, something in the gentle tilt of Yang's head hinting that any reaction she gave would play right into the blonde's hands. "I just finished a workout, ya know."

What a workout it must've been, too, to maintain the sculpture of her arms, her abs, her thighs- but she brought her attention back to the friendly neighbor who had a chance to become something a little more. "I can see that, though I'm not sure what you're proposing."

"Well, I could use a shower. Yours, specifically." Lightly, Yang reached out to pluck at the lapel of her robe, teasing while being entirely serious at the same time. "Before, after… during. Take your pick."

"Enticing." She smirked, pushing the door open. "I'll take that into consideration as payment for services rendered. However, first…"

"Gotcha." The blonde winked, brushing past Weiss- and _brushing_ was putting it lightly, she could almost taste the salt lingering on the other woman's skin with as close as she came- into the bathroom and rolling up the newspaper. "Let me just go render that service real quick."

She took a moment to center herself before following, calming the stutter in her heartbeat that accompanied the close proximity. Although she might be running more on libido than sense at present, she couldn't deny it seemed to be working; she had Yang's interest and a need to unwind, and she hadn't shared a shower with another person in a long while. It wouldn't be quite as relaxing as a bath but now she had the idle curiosity in the back of her head about getting a massage from those strong looking hands, fingers pressing into her shoulders and moving lower. Then again, as she followed the other woman into the bathroom and caught sight of sculpted back muscles moving beneath the black fabric, maybe she could give one herself, if only to explore just how solid the blonde's frame was.

Even if it amounted to nothing more than a one night stand, at least she'd have a little satisfaction. Or a lot.

"Okay, one dead bug, coming right up." Yang grabbed the shower curtain and threw it open, the hand holding the rolled up newspaper raised and ready to strike. "Now, c'mere, you- **NOPE**!"

Faster than Weiss could've possibly imagined- given the woman's size and her general understanding of the laws of physics- the blonde disappeared from in front of her in a rush, somehow jumping up onto the counter top and effectively plastering herself into the upper corner of the bathroom in the blink of an eye. It actually took her a moment to figure that much out, blinking in surprise until the stuttered breathing behind her brought blue eyes round to see the absolute panic in the other woman's expression, lilac eyes wide and skin a bit paler than she thought would be normal for someone of Yang's complexion.

"… what are you doing?"

"YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SPIDERS!" Of the many, many things she considered as a possible outcome of the night, being actually _yelled_ at in this specific manner didn't happen to be one of them.

Slowly raising a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, Weiss came to the obvious conclusion. "You're arachnophobic."

"IF THAT'S FANCY PEOPLE TALK FOR 'NOT FUCKING WITH SPIDERS' THEN YES, ACTUALLY, I AM!"

Considering her luck that week, she simply couldn't muster the ability to be surprised. With a sigh- because now any potentially flirtatious mood was well and truly killed- Weiss held out her hand towards the terrified woman. "Give me the newspaper."

She didn't miss the way the blonde's hand trembled and, in retrospect, she probably should've been more specific with her initial request. Unrolling it, Weiss went over to the bath tub and carefully coaxed the offending spider onto the paper, being mindful to try and use her body to shield her guest from the unpleasantness. Personally, she didn't understand how someone could be afraid of the creatures; she was no fan herself, true, but she couldn't be mustered to actual fear by something smaller than a lien. Considering her day-to-day life consisted of board meetings and more money than most people could imagine, her fears revolved around being denied access to her laptop during a crisis, which probably spoke to how badly she needed to relax. However, as she neared the door, despite her best efforts, Yang flinched away, accidentally knocking into the bottle of wine on the counter top and sending it tumbling to the tile behind Weiss.

Thankfully, she neither lost the spider to the carpet below nor stepped on any glass as she quickly hopped out of the bathroom, mentally amending her list of fears to include sudden loud noises.

"Shit, s-sorry." Although she couldn't see the woman- Yang seemed rather content to remain affixed to the top corner of the ceiling- there was a genuine note of contrition in her voice.

Weiss simply sighed, opting to remain silent rather than loose some biting remark. Instead, she carried the spider out to the living room, opening a window to deposit the creature onto the brick siding of the building, which it all too happily latched onto when given the chance. Honestly, it probably spent the entirety of its time in the bath tub terrified of all the noise the humans made and wanted to be free of them as eagerly as the other way around. Maybe _this_ time it would learn not to slip into people's homes and make its presence known or risk a worse fate.

She stopped by the kitchen to collect a suitable towel to wipe up the spilled wine and a hand broom plus dustpan, absently thankful the damage hadn't made it nearly as far as the carpeted hallway, and tried to imagine what it would take to coax her neighbor down from the counter top and usher her back to her apartment. At this rate, she'd be lucky if the water hadn't been shut off, seeing as that was just about the last thing that _could_ go wrong.

When she returned to the bathroom, Weiss found that at least one problem solved itself; the blonde had climbed down from her perch. Presently, she was kneeling just outside the red splotch still slipping across the tile, fingers picking out the larger chunks of glass. The red liquid was already beginning to stain her fingertips, gaze hidden from Weiss' view, but she didn't seem to be paying much mind as every shard was deposited into the still intact bottom of the bottle.

"You're going to cut yourself," she said, carefully lowering herself to her knees and setting aside her supplies for the moment, holding out one hand. "Give me what you have; I'll dispose of it safely."

"I-I'm really sorry." Yang wouldn't look at her directly, lavender eyes peeking up through blonde bangs, but she handed over the collected glass without protest.

"It's fine." Her tone was flat, more because her attention remained fixed on ensuring nothing stained the carpet than due to a lack of sincerity on the blonde's part, and she stood without another word to throw away the broken glass. With that done, she returned once again, only to find the floor devoid of debris and wine, though one could pick out the lingering red stain that remained and wouldn't come up without a vigorous scrubbing of the tile. Above it stood the blonde, holding the soiled towel and full dust pan while staring at the floor just in front of Weiss' feet, a bright blush illuminating her cheeks.

"I really _am_ sorry." She muttered, gaze darting up a few times before falling further and staying there- and it was a bit unfair how much she looked like a guilty golden retriever in that moment, the typical extrovert cheer that typically filled her larger frame completely absent. "I shouldn't have freaked out like that."

"You were startled; it's understandable." Weiss motioned for the items in her hand. "I'll take those and show you out." That was a bit rude and she actually did internally wince at realizing that, but the blonde didn't notice one way or the other, handing over the towel and dust pan without complaint. Although it did disappoint her that whatever idle fantasies she might've concocted now seemed about as plausible as pigs flying, the most she could do would be to continue on with her night as best she could. A nice, long soak would be the very least she could do to begin siphoning away the stress from the week, and perhaps tomorrow she could run out to the store and buy something as an apology for inadvertently giving the woman a fright. "Thank you for offering your assistance."

"Yeah, uh… no problem." They walked through the living room, stopping briefly so Weiss could throw the towel in the empty sink and drop the dust pan's contents into the trash can. "I'm-"

"If you're about to apologize again, don't." She walked over, flipping open the lock and twisting the knob. "It was an accident and, if anyone's at fault, it's me for putting you in that position." Opening the door, Weiss mustered a small smile for the beleaguered blonde. "Please, forgive my intrusion upon your evening. It's been a very long week."

"Uh, well, I…" When words seemed to fail her, Yang shuffled out, pausing once she was in the hallway to turn back. "Have a good night, Weiss."

"You, too," she replied before shutting the door, locking it and waiting for the woman's heavy tread to trek across the hallway and the closing of another door before allowing herself a sigh.

Really, she shouldn't have expected anything good to come from any endeavor she undertook this week. The past five days were hell, so why should tonight be any different?

On the bright side, at least she didn't have to deal with the inevitable awkwardness that would come with attempting something like a casual relationship with her neighbor, and anything serious would be nigh impossible given their differing schedules. If her sister asked, she'd tell her the simple truth: she tried, it didn't pan out, and she was better off alone.

At least she still had the bubble bath.

* * *

Much to her never-ending surprise, the bath went off without a hitch. Nigh scalding water quickly eased into her muscles and the lavender scent coaxed her troubles to the back of her mind as she lay in the water. All good things had to come to an end, unfortunately, and getting up and actually cleaning herself off when the water cooled came with a few muttered curses because of that, but she felt rather content when she emerged from the bathroom, once again clothed in her robe with a spare towel wrapped around her hair. She changed into her white silk pajamas, wanting nothing more than to brush out her hair and go to sleep. There was a thought to run out and find a bottle of wine, seeing as hers was sacrificed to the tile, but she dismissed it immediately; she'd had enough of dealing with the outside world at this point.

Instead, she would have to settle for a glass of cool water before bed. Weiss was halfway to the kitchen when she caught the sound of her neighbor's heavy footfalls out in the hall again and she felt a pang of disappointment strike her chest. Their brief interaction earlier seemed like such a wasted opportunity; the blonde certainly seemed to be the sort to indulge in the sort of strictly physical, stress relieving arrangements that would fit into her hectic schedule. She doubted the woman would be inclined to accept another invitation, though seeing as-

Wait a minute. She heard Yang's tread stop close by, but no opening of a door or the closing of one. Maybe it was someone else, though she honestly couldn't recall any of their other neighbors making the same casual racket with their comings and goings.

Curiosity got the better of her and she padded to her own door, lifting up on her tip toes to peek through the peep hole. She could make out the blonde's burly frame just outside her door but no knock came, no signal that she wanted Weiss' attention. She was just… standing there.

"Oh, what the hell," she said to herself, deciding that if there would be any awkwardness resulting from the fiasco earlier, she might as well handle it now. After staring down board members and visiting executives all week, this would be as simple as agreeing they never mention it again and go about their lives as they had before. Flipping the lock with a practiced motion of her wrist, Weiss pulled the door open, her gaze initially focused up into surprised lilac eyes before dropping back down as confusion surely splayed across her features.

During the intervening hours, the blonde saw fit to change from her gym clothes into a rather nice white button up with black slacks, those unruly locks tamed into some semblance of order by being woven in a thick braid, though she did have something of a cowlick poking up from the back that looked a bit too cute for words. In one hand, the woman held a box of chocolates- not the type one could easily find at the local grocery store, either, judging from the foreign label- and in the other, a bottle of wine, the same type that Yang had knocked off her counter top earlier, too. A stuffed animal was tucked under one arm but her attention got pulled away before she could discern exactly what type.

"Oh, uh, hey, Weiss." The woman flashed a smile, almost immediately dropping her gaze as a blush lit up her cheeks. "I, uh, I was debating on whether or not to knock, 'cause I didn't know if you'd be up, and I _really_ don't want to wreck your night any more than I already have-"

"Yang." Recovering just enough to level a hard look at the taller woman, Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Why are you standing on my doorstep with a bottle of Gaja Barbaresco?"

"It's the kind I broke, right?" Blonde brows pinched together. "I… don't really know much about wines, but the labels are the same, but I think the year's different?" A quick glance down at the offered bottle confirmed that, yes, that was indeed the case. "I wanted to replace yours. I know it's late, 'cause it took a while to find-"

"That bottle is easily three hundred lien," she said, trying very hard not to voice the 'how were _you_ able to afford that' lingering in the back of her mind.

"So? I'll take a few extra shifts." Yang shrugged, holding out the wine until she reluctantly accepted the bottle. Not that she didn't appreciate the gesture but, really, the blonde didn't have to go through the trouble. "That's not the-"

"And the chocolates?"

"Oh, they're white chocolates- I read somewhere that it's the only kind that goes good with reds like this one."

While she hadn't originally planned on eating anything while drinking, she had to admit that finding something to pair with her chosen wine proved a bit more thoughtful than she might've expected. Once again, she found herself accepting the offering. "And the… bear?"

With both hands free, Yang had grabbed the stuffed animal from the crook of her arm, allowing the woman to see the little ears, brown eyes, and red writing across its stomach, 'Sorry' spelled out in smooth cursive as it held its paws open wide. "Well, you said I couldn't apologize again, so…"

"So, you got a bear to do it for you?" She raised a brow, expecting for some lame excuse to fall from the blonde's lips the moment she faced resistance. It certainly seemed to be the de facto response with just about everyone else that week.

"I thought it was a bearable way to bend the rules," Yang replied, a smile flashing across her lips and if it wasn't for years of dealing with her ever unimpressed father, Weiss might've laughed. She briefly considering questioning the woman's choice of jokes- or her sanity, really- but wasn't provided the chance as the blonde's features pinching into an expression of utmost seriousness. "Look, regardless of how we wanna look at earlier, it wasn't how I wanted our first real interaction to go. I've… kinda been working the nerve to talk to you for the past month, but you always seemed really busy and I didn't want to get in your way. Figured it wouldn't be appreciated." Despite the confident start, the woman reached up to rub the back of her neck in a self conscious gesture, obviously a little embarrassed in admitting that much, and it almost made Weiss wince. She suddenly understood with clarity why some might be motivated to provide an excuse or deflect, because she very nearly launched into an explanation regarding the difficult month, the weeks of dealing with stuffy morons and incompetents, but managed to hold it back only just. "Anyway, when you came over earlier, I honestly thought it was my lucky day; I figured you caught me, uh, looking a bit longer than I probably should've one too many times and decided to make the first move, that you made up an excuse to invite me over." Yang winced and offered another shrug. "I really didn't think you were being dead serious and I didn't handle the whole situation very well."

"I'm going to stop you there." She held up a finger, keeping a tight grip on the wine bottle's neck with the rest to ensure it didn't drop. "You handled it as best you could, given the circumstances and I'm not holding that against you." Her gaze darted between the bottle, box, and bear. "Plus, I'd say your thoughtfulness has more than made up for the incident earlier. Let's put it behind us, shall we?"

Broad shoulders slumped as relief suffused the other woman's frame, lilac eyes sparkling once more. "I think I can handle that."

"Good." Weiss smiled, moving so that the blonde could tuck the stuffed animal into the crook of her arm.

"Well, you look like you're heading to bed so I guess I'll see you later?" Yang took a step down the hallway, as if returning to her own apartment.

But…

"Excuse you? Do I _look_ like an alcoholic?" She pinched her expression into one of mock indignation, waiting for the blonde's eyes to widen in alarm before holding up the bottle. "I can't _possibly_ drink this whole bottle by myself."

She pointedly ignored that she'd actually planned on doing just that with the previous bottle.

"Oh- uh, really?" The other woman seemed caught off guard at first but, after a moment to compose herself, regained that confidence from earlier in the day. "I mean, I wouldn't want to impose, but I could certainly help you out." Yang stepped back towards the doorway, a smirk on her lips. "And it seems like you've had a rough time at work so how about a movie to take your mind off it?"

Frankly, a movie wasn't where her mind immediately went, but it would do for now. "Sounds perfect."

She stepped back into her apartment, turning towards the kitchen as the blonde stepped through the doorway, the corners of her mouth lifting in a small grin as she heard the lock being engaged. Thoughtful and attentive… perhaps the whole spider fiasco would be well worth it after all.

* * *

Weiss couldn't remember the title of the movie they found playing- something with pirate boats and explosions, of that much she was sure- and honestly stopped paying attention after the first few minutes, instead becoming engrossed in a quiet game of twenty questions. Surprisingly, Yang could be very soft spoken, in the right situation, and she'd steered clear of anything that could possibly lead back to Weiss' work, instead opting for the somewhat bizarre, hypothetical sort. A few of them even made her laugh and she had to admit the constant headaches she'd experienced all throughout the week faded to the back of her mind the longer the conversation went. Weiss found out that the blonde did indeed work construction but also had a second job as a bike mechanic at her sister's auto shop, that owned the yellow motorcycle currently covered by a tarp in preparation for better riding weather, and that she loved her family dearly. Apparently, part of the reason she'd been working up to talking to Weiss stemmed from an encouraging conversation she had with Ruby, who sounded like just a bit too much energy for the normally stoic business woman to deal with but endearing all the same.

Somehow- she couldn't quite remember who asked the question- they'd touched on where they could possibly go from this point, either through Weiss' lamenting the demands of her job draining away any chance for a long term relationship or Yang making an offhand remark about relationships in general. Much to her surprise, the blonde wasn't looking for a flash-in-the-pan arrangement and didn't seem deterred by a hectic schedule, making a quip or two about 'building foundations' and the like, that nothing was 'built in a day', and she couldn't even pretend that they didn't make her laugh out loud more times than anything else in the past four months. Despite the rational part of her brain insisting that it was doomed to failure, she found herself thinking about putting those construction jokes to the test, see just how far they could go before it inevitably came crashing down around them. If she didn't miss her guess, Yang was thinking the same thing.

They'd settled in to watch the movie after spending perhaps the first hour or so talking, though she couldn't remember how it ended…

… actually, she didn't remember it ending at all, or falling asleep.

Fluttering her eyes open, Weiss quickly covered her yawn with one hand and shifted, surprised when the solid warmth she was leaning against moved, too. "Yang?"

"Welcome back." She looked up into soft lilac eyes, a gentle smile curling the woman's lips. "You nodded off during the movie. Figured you needed the rest."

With a hum, she debated righting herself; it would be the proper thing to do, of course, but those firm muscles were surprisingly comfortable to lean against and she could feel her body beckoning her to return to a peaceful slumber. "Do you want me to move?" She looked up at the silence that followed, slightly surprised to see the war raging in the other woman's eyes as she bit her lip. "Be honest."

"I want to say no, because you look really cute when you sleep and you probably need it." Yang winced. "But my arm fell asleep two hours ago." Chuckling, Weiss sat up, allowing the blonde to reclaim her arm and start working the pins-and-needles feeling from it. "Seriously, though, I should probably head home so you can get some more rest."

Hardly in any position to argue, she nodded and the two stood, Weiss making her way to the door while Yang ensured the wine bottle- half full, funnily enough- found its way back to the kitchen, the clinking of glass in the sink preceding her appearance by the door. Weiss unlocked and opened it, a little sad to see the blonde go but very much ready to crawl into her bed and go back to sleep. "Good night, Yang. I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, and feel free to drop by if you need anything other than spider removal." They both laughed, a small pause following before the blonde added. "Good night, Weiss."

She nodded and closed the door, fingers on the lock and ready to flick it but she hesitated. Would it be too forward to open the door and ask for a good night kiss? Even if it wasn't planned, and they didn't really do much, and she fell asleep during the movie, that was probably one of the best dates she'd ever been on and she was hard pressed to think of a better one off the top of her head. Unfortunately, she'd followed the standard dating protocol all those times and given her date a kiss at the end, even when she hadn't really wanted to, so to go without now… perhaps she could think of it as a breakaway from the usual. Wasn't that her initial rationale for going through the whole ordeal in the first place?

Before she could actually turn the lock, though, Yang's voice came through the door. "Hey… Weiss?"

Raising a brow as a little grin curled her lips, she opened it again, only to quickly finger a knuckle under her chin tilting her head up a moment before lips pressed against her own. The contact was brief and gentle, demanding nothing of her and still leaving her room to pull away if she so desired, but she did manage to kick her brain into gear quick enough to return the pressure before it faded entirely.

The woman's smile reached all the way to her lilac eyes. "Thanks for giving me a second chance."

"Go get some sleep, you dolt," she replied, though she couldn't help returning the smile even as the blonde backed away. This time, when Weiss closed the door, she locked it and went straight to her bedroom. She thought she remembered Yang saying something about being off work this weekend for one reason or another.

Maybe tomorrow she could go over and ask for a cup of sugar.


	5. Awkward Theatre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd posted this already. Based on "we've been friends for a while now and I kinda have a crush on you so I invited you on a date to the cinema to confess after it but oh no it turns out we're the only two watching the movie, awkwaaard' au" prompt. This was originally posted to tumblr. So, yeah... enjoy, if you haven't already.

Weiss Schnee was perfection, but in a very real, down-to-Remnant kind of way. She was smart and beautiful and talented- like, she could _sing,_ wow- but she wasn't without her faults. She could be moody and high-strung and she had the tendency to freak out _way_ too much about tests, but Yang honestly liked all those things. After being friends for a few years, the blonde had every trick memorized; she could crack just the right kind of joke to pull a smile even when the other woman's brows were furrowed deeply in agitation, she could make just the right observation to break the tension keeping the other woman's shoulders too stiff, and she could play dumb with the best of them to gently remind the other woman that she was _more_ than prepared for any test. After all, you had to be pretty knowledgeable about a given subject to teach someone who absolutely refused to understand and Yang could match Weiss' stubbornness step for step when sufficiently motivated. Plus, she _adored_ when the other woman started trying to make puns of her own in retaliation, as if it was a contest between them who could make the best- or worst, depending on who you asked- jokes and puns, and Weiss always seemed to know when it was better to just let the blonde ramble about whatever had caught her attention, even if their interests didn't align. She actually sat through a twenty minute long explanation about the rules and weight classes of boxing just so she could make sense of Yang's outbursts during the welterweight title match a few months back.

Really, it probably didn't surprise any of the blonde's friends that she was absolutely smitten with the heiress. But, well, it's not like they ever _talked_ about it. Weiss had no clue how Yang felt- of course she didn't, the blonde was better at playing things off than _that_ , come on now- but that was going to change tonight.

Yep, tonight. They were going to go see a movie together- a psychological thriller, which the blonde figured would be a bit of a snoozefest if the actors or plot didn't suck her in within the first fifteen minutes- and, after that, grab some food before parting ways for the night. But, well, between the movie and the food, or the food and the goodbye, Yang was going to be up front and… confess her undying love in the most sappy way imaginable, probably.

Damn Blake for putting that idea in her head, crap, she was probably going to resort to that as a back-up plan if she couldn't come up with anything better.

"Nah, I got this. I don't need any dumb lines from a romance novel to do this." Yang muttered to herself as she pulled off her helmet and set it on the seat of her beloved motorcycle. They'd agreed to take Weiss' car but, seeing as her last class of the day didn't end until after seven, it made more sense for the blonde to meet her at the small house just off campus that she shared with her older sister than have the heiress drive back towards campus and then to the movie theater. Especially considering the movie started at eight-thirty; they were honestly pushing it a little, hoping to get there just as the previews started up. "I'm just going to tell her. Like, hey, Weiss, I just want you to know that I really like you, not as a friend but- I mean, you _are_ a great friend, seriously, but I mean in the romantic way, and-" She puffed out a breath, smoothing out her jacket and skirt. It was always a pain wearing anything other than shorts or pants while she rode but, considering the short distance and the fact that the garment showed off her killer thighs, she was willing to make an exception. She was dressed to impress and hopefully that would make up for the brief vacation her speaking ability seemed to be taking. "Geez, I sound like an idiot. Okay, trying this again." She ran a hand through hair, teasing out the locks. The blonde had considered tying it back but, given the creeping nerves threatening to turn her into a total loser, it was probably better to leave them down. It made her feel more confident, more in control- she was Yang Xiao Long, damnit, and this wasn't her first time asking someone out or even getting shot down. Those were few and far between but, hey, everyone had those swing-and-miss stories, and if this turned out to be one as well, she _really_ hoped they could at least stay friends. "I'm psyching myself out. It's fine. I got this."

Yang took a deep breath and let it out slowly before starting up the path to the front door, her usual smile claiming her lips. She pushed everything else to the side; even if she actually managed to get her point across, it wouldn't come until after the movie at least, so right now, she should just focus on spending time with her friend and ignore her massive crush for the moment. Upon arriving at the door, the blonde gave three solid knocks, her smile pulling wider at the muffled shouts from within. She wasn't surprised when Winter- Weiss' older sister- opened the door.

"Princess still getting ready?" At this point, the blonde was used to how long it took the heiress to make herself 'presentable' though she honestly harbored more that a passing infatuation with how Weiss looked first thing in the morning, a rare sight that she was usually graced with only when they pulled all night study sessions together. If it wasn't for that elusive prize, she probably wouldn't be acing all of her classes, honestly; the blonde never was much one for book learning.

"I'm afraid events have conspired to put her behind schedule. More than usual, at any rate." The door was opened wider as Winter turned. "It may be a while."

Yang bit back a curse. It was seven forty and the movie theatre was only a ten minute drive, so no big deal on that front; they might get there a little after the opening sequence but that was fine. She was more interested in her company than the movie anyway. "Is everything okay? Like, does she want to reschedule?"

The older woman turned just as she reached the living room, a small smile on her lips. "She's just running late, Yang. That's hardly worth canceling plans over."

"Yeah, but you know how she gets." Leaning against the wall, she crossed her arms over her chest, chuckling lightly. "It stresses her out when things go wrong, even the little stuff. We could always just grab dinner and watch something on Netflix."

"I suppose that's an option." Winter acknowledged, returning to her abandoned spot on the couch. Apparently, she was highly engrossed in watching some sort of documentary, offering nothing more than another suggestion to make herself comfortable.

For some reason, the blonde couldn't do that, though. Once the older woman was distracted, her lips pulled into a frown as she reconsidered things. Weiss probably wouldn't make a big deal out of being a little late. If anything, she'd probably suggest they grab dinner before the later showing instead- but now Yang was wondering if maybe that was a sign tonight _wasn't_ the night.

No, she was just trying to talk herself out of it. She'd spent the past month going over all the pros and cons, even enlisting Blake and Ruby to bounce the idea off of, and all three of them agreed that- regardless of the outcome- it would be better to just get it off her chest. Holding her tongue could just as effectively ruin their friendship as confessing anyway and the heiress deserved the truth straight from the horse's mouth.

However, as time started crawling by and the old fashioned grandfather clock in the entryway struck eight, she began to get a little worried. Yes, Weiss was meticulous about her appearance, but it usually didn't take her _this_ long to get changed, especially when it was just the two of them hanging out. Which was absolutely fine- even if the heiress always fussed over her hair, and it took two years solid to persuade her not to cover up the scar that bisected her left eye, the blonde was absolutely convinced there was no way for Weiss to look anything short of stunning.

Not that she didn't think all the extra effort was a waste! That was definitely not the case! It was just that, she was already so beautiful.

Wow, she was overthinking this so hard, she couldn't even compliment the woman _in her own head_ without feeling the need to clarify. She was normally _not_ this jittery- she flirted often just for fun and partially out of habit- but this was way different than every other time before because, hey, this was _Weiss Schnee_ , and while she wouldn't explicitly say she was intimidated… well… maybe she was? Just a little?

Shaking her head to dislodge the thought, Yang proceeded to the staircase leading up to the bedrooms, planting one foot on the bottom stair and peering up towards the landing. She couldn't hear anything- no telltale huffs of frustration, no blow dryer buzzing faintly, absolutely _nothing_ \- and briefly contemplated creeping a little higher to see what was holding Weiss up.

Yang frowned and furrowed her brows before calling out instead. "Hey, Weiss? Everything okay?"

"Yes! I'll be right down!"

The blonde released a sigh of relief. At leas the heiress didn't _sound_ frustrated or upset about the delay. Plus, they still had twenty five minutes; they'd be fine. Yang pulled out her scroll and checked her messages, noting that both Blake and Ruby had sent her good luck wishes. She tapped out quick responses to them while keeping an ear open for the squeak that third step always made whenever someone came down from the second floor. When she heard it, the blonde tucked her scroll into her jacket and looked up.

She was _not_ ready for the sight that met her. Which was weird, if she stopped and thought about it.

Weiss usually wore her signature colors- white, with maybe a little light blue thrown in, sometimes black or red as accents- so it wasn't really surprising that a white jacket, skirt, and boots comprised her outfit. However, the blonde wasn't prepared for the knee high length of the boots and how they teased the little bit of skin with every shift of her skirt, or the splash of color in the form of a gleaming golden pendant resting against her sternum just above the low cut of her jacket, or the striking shade of her lips stick highlighting the lack of foundation covering her scar. There were a few constants about the heiress that never seemed to change, like how her skirts usually came at least to her knees, like how she detested most forms of jewelry aside from earrings, and like how she insisted on wearing make-up whenever going anywhere public. It was only in the privacy of her own home that Weiss felt comfortable enough to wash away the foundation and concealer.

"Wow," Yang said, blinking once to recover her senses. "You're looking really _Weiss_ , Weiss."

"After all the time we've known each other, you _still_ think that's an acceptable pun," the heiress replied, shaking her head to hide the little smile on her lips. "You oaf. Can't you come up with some new material?"

"Sorry, Princess, you caught me by surprise!" The blonde chuckled, tucking a stray lock behind one of her ears. "You're especially gorgeous today, Beautiful."

"Better." Weiss bypassed her, heading towards the hall closet. "By the way, I'm afraid we won't be able to take my car. Part of the reason for the delay."

"Oh, so, are we borrowing your sister's?" Yang furrowed her brows, though they quickly reached towards her hairline when a white motorcycle helmet was produced from the closet. "I... guess not."

"Winter has the late shift tonight down at the operations center," the other woman said, turning the thing over in her hands. "And… well, I've been considering getting a motorcycle of my own. It seems like a practical alternative when the weather's nice." Blue eyes- that shade that now seems to put butterflies in the blonde's stomach whenever she saw it elsewhere, always bringing to mind the heiress- flicked her way as one pale brow arched. "That is, of course, if you don't mind."

"N-no, we can take Bumblebee." Her gaze drifted, smile falling ever so slightly. "But, uh, wearing your side-tail's gonna be a bit of a problem with the helmet."

Weiss frowned for a moment before she shrugged. "Well, I suppose I can wear my hair down for a night."

See, she was already considering herself lucky that the heiress wasn't wearing make-up, but now she was _doubly_ lucky, because she _really_ liked seeing the woman's hair down. It was like moonlight, silky and straight, nothing like the blonde's own unruly mane. "Yeah- here, let me help."

Stepping up behind the shorter woman, Yang carefully pulled her unique hair piece away- the Princess' crown, she called it- and undid the tightly wound bun that held her side-tail in place, allowing the locks to slide through her fingers. Warm- still fresh from the blow dryer- and oh so soft, she took an extra moment teasing out the strands before remembering that she was going to spill the beans tonight and, if things went as well as she dared to hope, she might get to do this _again_.

"There we go." With a smile on her lips, Yang stepped back and glanced at the clock. Ten minutes after the hour; they were doing fine on time. She was a little surprised that Weiss wasn't the one rushing them out the door, though. "Ready?"

After bidding farewell to Winter, the two went outside, a spring in the blonde's step as they headed down the driveway. Weiss had only ridden with her _once_ before this, and she'd complained in the very specific way that made Yang suspect she actually enjoyed the experience but was making a big deal out of it for completely unrelated reasons. Throwing one leg over the body of her bike, the blonde kicked the stand up and balanced it with her boots planted firmly on the ground, fastening her helmet in place with practiced ease.

"Oh, and they're doing construction over on twenty-third," Weiss said with a slight frown. "You're going to have to take an alternate route." The heiress huffed while putting on her own helmet. "Another reason I was running a bit late."

"Oh, okay." She waited until the other woman had climbed on to start up the motor, mentally mapping out their route. As long as they hit the light just right over on Sycamore, they could probably make it on time. "All set?"

"For the most part." Slim hands appeared on her hips, sending a small jolt up her spine before they slid around to hug her middle with the smaller woman's form pressed against her back. "I do hope you aren't going to _try_ to make me regret this."

"Not a chance, Princess," Yang replied, looking back to flash a smile at the woman before she tucked her head against the blonde's shoulder. She wasted no time in easing out onto the street, the thudding of her heart in her chest nearly matching the rhythm of the pistons.

* * *

So, things hadn't gone to plan for the evening.

Not only did they not make the light, which put them a bit further behind, but by the time they got there, the movie was apparently sold out. Which was fine- Yang had acknowledged that they could easily come up with an alternate plan- but what she _hadn't_ anticipated was Weiss opting for them to simply see the next movie to start, which… happened to be a sappy romance.

Honestly, she could handle that, really; the blonde was okay with some overwrought drama and painfully angsty dialogue from time to time. Even if it could potentially make things _super_ awkward for her when she finally figured out what she wanted to say. It would quite literally be _right_ up her alley to make a dumb joke about the lines in the movie as a way to break the tension if things weren't going in her favor, which might just make it all the more embarrassing.

Yet, as if to back her just that much further against the wall, they walked into a _completely empty theater._ Like, not a _mostly_ empty one or a _pretty_ empty one. They were literally the only two people there, sitting about three quarters up the rows and dead center under the projection booth.

Seriously. _No one else_ was seeing this movie?

"Why are you fidgeting?" Lilac eyes snapped to the side, noticing how the dimming lights just made everything so much more… _intimate_. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah." Yang chuckled, making a motion around them. "Just, ya know- kinda surprised we're the only ones here."

"That _is_ a bit odd." Weiss sat back in her seat, a soda in the cup holder to her right, which was interesting. Seeing as she was left handed, the blonde expected her to sit on the other side, or put the armrest that separated them down, so that she could reach for her drink with her dominant hand, but she did neither. Not that Yang was _complaining_ of course; it just struck her as a bit strange. "It's a bit… cliché, don't you think?"

"Huh?" Furrowing her brows, she turned away from the opening sequence to look at the woman seated beside her, admiring her profile as it was illuminated by the bright opening shot. "What is?"

"Well, perhaps not in our situation, exactly." The heiress kept her gaze on the screen, hands clasped in her lap. "But- an amorous couple, all alone in a dark movie theatre while a movie plays… it _is_ a rather popular setting for many a teenage fantasy."

"Uh, yeah, I guess," she said, trying to will away the blush she could feel rising to her cheeks and pretending she was focused on the screen. While she was _certain_ that Weiss was bringing up hypothetical make-outs, she couldn't help her mind going down certain… _other_ routes, too.

"Of course, _we_ aren't teenagers." There was a pause that stretched and Yang could feel her breath catching in her throat, glancing out of the corner of her eye. The heiress was still facing the screen but it didn't seem like she was actually focused on it, and that's when she noticed how the shorter woman's stature seemed much stiffer than on the ride over, when Weiss remained pressed against her back, not flinching throughout the ride despite being unaccustomed to the method of transport. Shoulders straight, chin tilted up, just like when she was delivering a speech or trying to hide her emotions. "And, I suppose, neither are we a couple."

It was faint. It might just all be in her head. But in that moment, Yang straight up _swore_ she heard a hint of disappointment in the other woman's tone.

"Well, we can't change that first part," she said, heart leaping into her throat for a moment before she forced it down, lips curling into a lopsided grin even as blue eyes fell on her. Deliberately, in perhaps the most appropriately predictable move she could possibly make, Yang stretched her arms up and over her head, holding it for a moment before bringing both down and allowing her right to land on the back of Weiss' seat. "But we can definitely change the second."

There was a moment when she waited, hoping she hadn't screwed the whole thing up, that she hadn't read the signs wrong. That _was_ a pretty curious observation to make, right? And Weiss would only bring it up if she had an opinion on changing it, right?

Then Weiss turned her head, prompting the blonde to do the same, lilac meeting blue, and they held each other's stare for a moment longer before Yang felt the smile slip from her lips, expression turning to one of utmost seriousness.

"I know we've been friends for a few years, Weiss, but I've been thinking recently… maybe we could be more." She took a breath, briefly taking in how ethereal the heiress looked when illuminated by the flickering screen, and took the plunge. "Would you be my girlfriend?"

Weiss blinked. "Yang Xiao Long, if this is your idea of a joke-"

The blonde dropped her arm from the seat's back to wrap around shoulders tight with tension and pulled lightly while leaning forward herself. Her eyes slipped closed in tandem with Weiss' just a moment before their lips met and all the apprehension slid away as cool fingers came up to cup her jaw and then card through her hair.

They separated after a few heartbeats, the blonde waiting until the other woman opened her eyes before speaking, a smile tugging at her lips. "That serious enough for you?"

"No." Even though some part of her should've expected the rebuttal, Yang was still caught off guard by the reply and then by the hand that pushed against her shoulder. For a split second, dread welled in her gut that she'd read everything wrong, but that was tossed aside as she quite suddenly found herself pinned to her seat by the shorter woman in her lap, momentarily towering over her and hands gripping the back of the blonde's seat, bracketing her head so she had no choice but look up at Weiss. Which, to be clear, she couldn't really look away from, anyway. "I think you should try again."

Almost automatically, her hands came to rest on the heiress' trim waist, itching to sneak a little under her jacket and maybe beneath the shirt hidden beneath, a fire lighting in her chest as she could see the faintest hints of a blush beginning to emerge.

"And how many tries do I get?" She leaned forward, lips curling slightly into a smile.

"You have until the movie ends." Weiss tilted her head, bypassing the blonde's lips so she could speak softly into Yang's ear. "Then it's _my_ turn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only in hindsight do I realize I must've been dead tired when I wrote this; this is only half of what I'd intended to write. It stands well enough on it's own, I suppose, but I'll probably make a continuation later down the line.


	6. The Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We were discussing what would happen if future versions of RWBY went back in time to talk to their past selves in the Freezerburn server a few months back. I'd actually forgotten I'd written this as a response.

"Marriage? I can see that. Not sure how I'm going to afford the rock but I'm sure I'll figure something out." Yang chuckled, scuffing her boot against the ground. "But kids? I dunno; I think that's pretty far away. I mean... I think we're two of the _least_ qualified people to have kids. My mom ran out on me, and then played stupid games, popping in and out of my life, and Dad, well, he tried, when he could, but... how am _I_ supposed to be a decent parent?" Her gaze shifted to the ground. "And Weiss? ...she'll figure it out. That's what she does- you tell her she can't do something, and she finds a way. Even with how fucked up her family is, she'd _still_ find a way." Yang shook her head, spreading her hands. "I mean, I want to believe you, that- that Weiss and I can work out. Maybe that part's true. But, the two of us settling down into the good life, picket fence with two kids and a dog? No. I don't think I'm that lucky."  
  
She looked up, noting the smile on her older reflection's lips. It felt strange, looking at this person who both was and wasn't her- was because, come on, no one had hair like hers, or eyes that shifted from lilac to blood red, an inferno burning in her heart while her smile did nothing but shine. At the same time, she looked older. Not in an entirely unflattering way- she had scars on her knuckles and arms, chinks in the metal of her prosthetic, and lines etched into her face from years of laughing and scowling and just being the most emotive one out of their team. Still, when the older version of herself pushed off the wall and one hand searched through a pocket on her white jacket, she expected some sort verbal response, something to try and assuage her worries. She wasn't disappointed.

"You don't know what the word 'lucky' means yet." Her doppelganger smirked. "Only reason I have an _idea_ of what lucky means is because I remember standing where you are now, thinking I couldn't have anything that good- I remember lying in that bed back in Patch, thinking I'd lost everything." Lilac eyes, tempered by time, fell to the new prosthetic that acted as her arm and did its best to keep the phantom pain away. It wasn't as fancy or advanced as the one from the future, but it did the job alright. For now. "But I remember _this_ moment most of all, because this is when I decided to keep a secret I will take to my grave."  
  
Yang raised a brow as a smaller, collapsed scroll was pulled free and held between the older woman's thumb and forefinger. "A secret?"   
  
"Yup." She thumbed it open, stepping up beside the younger of the two. A few inches taller, fit and strong- Yang almost felt like she was standing next to a funhouse mirror. "Ruby said not to use any pictures when we came back. Said it might really screw things up. But, future me did it, and now I'm going to show you the same thing." With a flick of her thumb, the scroll expanded to fit in one hand, which she passed to Yang. Almost immediately, she raised a hand to her mouth, unsure if she felt more inclined to cry or gasp. "When you're ready, press play."   
  
It might be a while. On the screen, she saw a version of herself, maybe halfway between now and whatever far off date her future version came from, with two little ones in her lap. Young, but old enough to speak- maybe six or seven on the smaller one, eight or nine on the bigger of the two- and the children were beaming at the camera while the person who looked so much like her smiled down at them softly. For a moment longer, she hesitated before tapping her finger against the screen.

Immediately, she heard Weiss' voice as the screen shifted, showing the two little girls staring up at the camera. It had changed a little over the years- a tad smoother, with an audible smile around the edges- but definitely the white haired woman. "Ready for the surprise attack?"  
  
"Yeah!" The children chorused back, their excitement making their voices louder than they intended as one sucked her lips in and the other slapped her tiny hands over her mouth.   
  
Weiss merely chuckled. "Okay. Commence attack!"   
  
The camera followed the little girls as they turned around and raced off, rounding a corner in a spacious home to make a beeline for the couch in the center of a living room. It didn't look familiar- certainly not her dad's place in Patch- but she recognized herself, passed out across the thing and snoring softly. Well, up until two little bodies launched themselves at their slumbering target, earning a yelp of surprise as lilac eyes flew open wide.   
  
"Hey, no fair!" She laughed, bright and happy, while trying her best to wrangle the little girls as they tried to tickle her. "What makes you two think you can defeat the Queen of Tickling?"   
  
And then she launched her counter assault, Weiss' chuckling playing over the speakers as Yang couldn't help but let out a startled laugh of her own, tears springing to her eyes. She watched through blurry eyes as everyone's laughter mixed together, only halting when the version of herself on the screen finally caught both little girls, one in each arm. They struggled, briefly, but gave up the fight to instead wrap their tiny arms around the blonde's frame as best they could.

"Oh, trying to win me over by playing soft, huh?" Lilac eyes flashed up to the camera. "I can't believe you're recording this."  
  
"I have to; the girls have something groundbreaking they want to share. Truly, an auspicious occasion worthy of documentation for future generations."   
  
All three Yangs laughed at that, equally enamored with how heartfelt the woman could make sarcasm sound. Without dignifying the explanation with a response, the recorded version of herself looked down at the little girls. "Well? What do my little sunflakes have to say?"   
  
"We did a test!" The older one squirmed, excited to the point she seemed unable to sit still. "Mother asked who is the best parent in the world!"   
  
"Yeah! We did some research and we know the answer!"   
  
"It's her, isn't it?" Lilac eyes darted to the camera.   
  
"Well, obviously, but excluding me for the purpose of this very scientific discovery."   
  
"Oh is that right?" Yang laughed, shaking her head. "Well, go on, don't keep me in suspense. Who is it? It's Auntie Blake, isn't it?"   
  
Both little girls shook their heads before responding in unison. "It's you, Momma!"

And it probably shouldn't have made her heart clench the way it did, but the earnest way they looked at her then, these two little images mixing her visage and Weiss' together- the tears that had gathered in her eyes silently slid down her cheeks as she smiled, unable to resist.  
  
Apparently, the version of her in the recording thought the same, smiling and speaking in that way her voice got whenever she tried holding back tears. "Well, I did some research, too, and you know what I found out?" Her head bent down, quickly pecking kisses to two round cheeks. "You two are the best daughters anyone could ever hope to have."   
  
"She's right," Weiss said, prompting the little girls to look at her while Yang's gaze remained and the children in her lap. "That's why I know I have the perfect family."   
  
The recording stopped there and Yang quickly reached up to wipe her eyes. "Is that... is that what's going to happen?"

"As long as you don't give up," her doppelganger said softly, squeezing her shoulder in reassurance. "I'm not gonna lie; it's going to get tough. _Real_ tough. There's going to be moments when you just want to give up, when the whole world seems like it's against you and you've got nothing to keep you going." She reached over, collapsing the scroll and closing her younger version's fingers around it. "That's why I'm leaving you with this. You can't tell the others about it but, when shit looks its roughest, like you can't go on? Pull this out. Watch it. Remember what you're fighting for."   
  
Yang lightly tightened her grip, not wanting to lose such a precious gift. "B-but, what about-"   
  
"I have my version." She pulled out another scroll, this one showing signs of wear and tear, cracks along the edges. "I've carried this with me every single day since the future me put it in my hand. When Weiss recorded it, when I _lived_ it, I carried that copy with me until now, so I could give it to you." She pat her shoulder likely. "I know it's hard to believe right now, but you're gonna make it. That family? _My_ family? It's already yours. You just gotta keep your head above water until you can get across the lake, okay?"   
  
"Yeah." She nodded, the tears coming a little faster now. Maybe... maybe she could do this. Be a good parent, raise two beautiful, amazing little girls. "Okay."


	7. Everyone's A Critic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU

Weiss’ brow furrowed as she quickly walked towards the exit, absolutely livid beyond measure. Thankfully, her companion for the showing happened to be just as vexed as her, though they’d made a promise not to voice any grievances until  _after_  they’d exited the theater. Hence her desire to be out of it sooner rather than later.

“I can’t believe-”

“Blake,” she said, tone sharp not because of her friend’s frustrations but because of their shared annoyance. “We have a deal.”

“That was before actually watching that trainwreck.” The Faunus’ ears laid back against her skull as she grimaced. “But the books were  _so_  good, we couldn’t have expected  _this_ disgusting catastrophe.”

However, for all Weiss’ desire to keep true to her word…  _oh_  did she have some rather pointed Opinions™ about this particular attempt to do justice to a well beloved series.

“It’s not just that.” They pushed out of the studio and into the florescent light of the theater’s hallways, following the throng of moviegoers who faced similar disappointment. “We can  _get_ to the myriad of ways they completely missed the point of the books later, because  _that_  in itself is a long enough list, but don’t you think we should start with how  _abysmal_  that was from the standpoint of just being a movie?” Frustration colored her tone as she quickened her pace, as if she could put physical distance between herself and the mere memory of that disgrace. “They cut so much material out, the plot is completely incomprehensible to one not familiar with the books, and even then is terribly disjointed in trying to be faithful to that. The pacing is god awful, likely because the directors merely googled which passages were most popular and poured all their effort into those scenes, which  _would make sense_  if they had all the other events leading up to them to build the tension and significance! As it stands, they’re just isolated moments when the story actually takes time to show itself, but all  _that_  is buried under layers of cinematic tomfoolery for the obvious intention of nabbing some manner of award and merely  _hoping_  every other scene can support themselves,  _which they can’t_ …”

Now that she’d gotten on a roll, the words didn’t stop, flowing from her mouth as she allowed every ill thought she’d kept locked behind her teeth go forth, with Blake nodding on occasion, knowing better than to try stymieing her diatribes once they got started. Thankfully, they usually agreed when it came to books and movies, seeking similar qualities, even if the Faunus tended towards media with a romantic streak. Once Weiss finished, it would be  _her_ turn to critique the awful, forced romantic subplot- a subplot, mind, that wasn’t resolved until the third book, and had no place being emphasized  _this_  much in the first movie- but that would be Blake’s terf.

“FUCKING HELL!”

Weiss came to a sudden stop, eyes widening as a voice she’d never heard before grabbed her attention with two little words. Ever since she learned to read, she’d become intimately familiar with those two words, seeing as they were tattooed across her left forearm in big, bold, yellow font. Her soulmate mark- and she’d especially attuned her hearing for those two words specifically, and this happened to be the first time she heard them in her life, which could only mean-

“You!” She whirled around, scanning until her gaze landed on the blonde marching towards her, and… 

Okay, she’d fully intended to be more than a little cross with the foul mouthed heathen who’d permanently marked her with those very words. However, Weiss was also a mere mortal and currently being approached by a veritable goddess. Tall, with the early evening breeze sending wild blonde locks flying, lilac eyes that shone like gemstones, in a beat up leather jacket that ended at the elbows, showing off remarkably sculpted forearms that certainly  _looked_  like they’d give good hugs- crass her soulmate might be, true, but she also happened to be gorgeous, making Weiss a  _little_  more inclined to give the whole ‘soulmate mark’ concept more than her annoyance and contempt.

However, aside from being taken off guard by the woman’s looks, Weiss  _still_  had to bone to pick with her supposed soulmate, grabbing at her sleeve and pulling it back to show the mark that had essentially mandated she never wear anything other than long sleeves around polite company. “Do you have  _any idea_  what it’s like walking around with a mark like this?”

“Oh, you think that’s bad? Check this out.” Without wasting another second, the woman stopped in front of Weiss and reached up, grabbing the collar of her yellow shirt and  _ripping it_.

Right.

Down.

The.

Middle.

And that brought to light three very important things.

One, her soulmate had decent tastes in undergarments. Two, she had the sort of abs that  _cosmically demanded_  to have something grinding against them. Three…

… the very,  _very_  long wall of neat white script curling across her chest and halfway down her abdomen, the words much smaller than what Weiss had on her arm to accommodate the sheer amount of space required, because apparently her soulmate had been within earshot since she’d started her tirade regarding the movie.

Blake elbowed her side under the guise of pulling out her scroll, stepping away to give Weiss a modicum of privacy with her soulmate- not that she needed the prompt, of course, she wasn’t uncivilized, but still- and pretended to be engrossed in checking her messages.

“You are  _really_  hard to stop when you get rollin’, anyone ever tell you that?” The blonde quirked a brow, completely nonplussed standing there with the tattered remnants of her shirt and jacket providing minimum modesty.

“It’s… been mentioned before,” she replied, scrounging for something to say. “So you’ve-”

“Had a novella tattooed across my chest my whole life? Now that you mention it, yeah, I have.” She set her hands on her hips. “And I’ve gone to every book adaptation movie released in the past ten years, thinkin’ I might meet you at one, and, I gotta tell ya- I  _liked_  most of them.” A shrug. “Yeah, sure, they aren’t masterpieces, but some of ‘em were quirky, or did one thing really well, or were just entertaining for their own sake, and I kept thinkin’ I was gonna run into you at one I liked and we’d get into this whole fight and, for all they say about soulmates being destined and all that, I have literally  _no desire_  to be shackled to someone who’s just gonna tear down the things I like, nuh uh, destiny can bite me, I don’t give a shit.” And even though they hardly knew each other- didn’t at all, really- Weiss found herself holding her breath and hoping her verbal evisceration hadn’t entirely ruined her chances of at least getting to know the woman. “But, the first time I saw  _this_  one, I knew- I thought to myself ‘oh, fuck me,  _this_  is it,  _this_  is the piece of shit my soulmate’s gonna go bonkers over, I’ve found it’, and so I-  _like an idiot_ \- bought tickets to, and  _sat through_ , that piece of hot  _garbage_  forty-seven times,  _just_  to make sure I didn’t miss you.” Apparently out of steam, lilac eyes darted away for a moment as she reached up to run a hand through her hair, tongue darting out to wet her lips. “So, uh… I guess what I’m getting at is… hi, my name’s Yang, that movie was awful, so do you… want to talk about how bad it sucked some more? Maybe over dinner or a milkshake or…”

Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, head tilting in incredulity. “You saw this  _how_  many times?” Then she waved a hand. “No matter; clearly, you’re dedicated, you have good enough sense to recognize terrible when it presents itself to you, and you’re strong enough to endure torture for sustained periods of time.” 

Turning, she prepared to excuse herself from the rest of the evening but found her best friend to be… nowhere in sight, and her scroll buzzing in her purse likely provided the answer to the question of where she went.

_If you don’t know how her abs feel by the end of the night, I am renouncing our friendship. Have fun. <3 -B_

“Cheek little-” Rolling her eyes, she dropped the device back into her bag and offered a hand. “I’m Weiss. It’s nice to finally meet the foul mouthed heathen I’ve been looking for.”

Yang’s lips quirked up into a smirk. “Yeah, kinda glad I found the critic with a set of iron lungs, too.”

Slipping her arm into the crook of the blonde’s elbow, she turned them both towards the other side of the parking lot where a restaurant sat- not nearly as high class as she’d normally choose, but the proximity and ease with which they could reach it trumped her personal scale at present. That, and a table between them would help keep her from getting distracted. “How about I start making it up to you for suffering through all those showings?”

Much to her surprise, Yang fully meant it when she invited the woman to continue trashing the movie, and had a couple of thoughtful points of her own to address. For being just about the last thing she’d expected from her soulmate, Weiss had to admit… she actually rather liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> I regret nothing.


End file.
